Buff and polishing kit



Sept. 23, 1958 2. H. WAGNER BUFF' AND POLISHING KIT Filed Nov. 2-2, 1957 'INVENTOR. am? W m4 BY 2,852,800 Patented Sept. 23, 1958 BUFF AND POLISHING KIT Zander H. Wagner, Alamogordo, N. Mex., assignor of one-half to Albert R. Persson, Alamogordo, N. Mex.

Application November 22, 1957, Serial No. 698,160

6 Claims. a (Cl. 15-258) This invention relates to a bull and polishing kit.

Applicants primary object is to provide a shoe buff of standard size which has a cover that protects other things from the buff when it is not in use and which provides a good hand grip when the buff is in use. A feature of the invention is the mounting of closure members in such a fashion that they may be snapped into one of two positions, one covering the built, the other exposing the buff. Means are provided for holding the closure members in one or the other of these positions. Importantly, the shape of the closure members is such that when 'the buff is exposed, the side walls of the closure members converge to form a convenient shape for being held by the hand. They are the equivalent of an ordinary buff handle.

A second object of the invention is so to design the pivot and sockets that the closure members which numher two may be identical, thereby saving die cost.

A third object is to protect the mounting edges of a bull swatch to reduce the possibility of its being pulled from the surface in which it is mounted.

A fourth object is to provide means for holding a shoe polish stick or the like in the bull head so that the buff will constitute a kit.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shoe buff with the covers concealing the bufiing wall;

Figure 2 is a perspective view with the bull exposed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Continuing to refer to the drawings, the head of the bull or base is composed of two plastic hollow members 12 and 14, the perimeter of 12 snapping into the perimeter of 14, see Fig. 3. Each possesses sufiiciently heavy side walls so that when assembled together, they will form a truly rigid base. The member 12 has a window 16. An arcuate sliding door 18 having a finger knob 20 has its side edges slideably disposed in curved tracks such as 22 on the inner end walls 24 and 26 of the member 12. The members 12 and 14 provide a small chamber in which may be inserted a standard shoe polish stick 28.

The member 14 has a pair of aligned trunnions 30 and 32 on the outer side of its end walls 34 and 36. Its concave surface has a cylindrical segment recess 40, and to this surface is cemented the hide side of a wool swatch of hide. This is done under standard plastic manufacturing process by dipping the hide portion 42, as contrasted with the Wool itself 44, in a solvent which reacts ;to soften the plastic temporarily. The hide portion 42 is simply pressed down upon the recess and the action of the solvent is such that the small fibers of the hide are pressed into the plastic. This is done when the member 14 is in the inverted position shown in Figure 5.

The recess 40 has two advantages. Firstly, it prevents the spilling of solvent onto adjacent surfaces of the member 14 when the hide is being mounted. In use, it protects the edge of the hide from the action of the cover members and from forces which might get under the edge of the hide so as to start pulling it away from the member 14.

The closure members number two, 46 and 48. They are identical. The member 46, 'for example, consists of an L-shaped channel, see Figure 3, having side walls 88 and 82 and end walls 58 and 52. The width of the wall 82 is greater than the width of the wall 80. The ends 58 or 52 have a quadrant shape. The end wall 52, re ferring to Figure 4, has a journal 54 with an inside annular shoulder 56. Both members 46 and 48 are made of plastic. This journal 54 may be snapped over the trunnion 32. The shoulder 56 is for concentrating friction between the closure member 46 and the base 10, thereby making pivoting easier and eliminating scratching of the end walls of the base. The end 58 of the closure member 48 has the same type journal as 54 and shoulder 56 of member 46. The end wall 60, referring to Figure 4, has an inside socket 62 which is snapped over the end of the trunnion 32. The rear wall 50, see Figure 3, of the closure member 46 has the same type of socket as socket 62 described and shown in the end wall 60 of the member 48. The closure members each have a journal on one end wall and a socket on the opposite end wall. Thus, closure member 48 has a socket 62 on its end wall 60 and has a journal similar to journal 54 on its opposite end wall 58. In an assembly of two closure members, the journal of one closure member and the socket of the other closure member are fitted over each of the trunnions of the member 14.

Referring to Figure 5, the width of the side 82 is less than the Width'of the side 88. The locking elements at 84 and 86 must be in a circle having the: axis 88 of the trunnions as their center. In order that. the side walls it and 98 shall converge to provide the superior grip for the hand when the butt is in use, the side wall 82 must be wider than the side wall 80.

The inside wall of the members 46 and 48 have longitudinal recesses 64 and 66 which are adapted to engage a detent 68 disposed in the wall of the member 14. As shown in Figure 3, the closure members are held by the groove 64 and the detent 68 and a corresponding groove and detent in engagement with the member 48. As shown in Figure 5, where the closure members 48 and 46 are reversed and shown in the open position, the groove corresponding with 66 is in engagement with the detent 68. In either position, one has a clean looking package. The side walls of the closure members when in the position shown in Figure 2 offer an ample surface for grasping by the hand. It will be noted that the distance between the points '70 and 72 is the least, and this makes it easier for the hand to hold the bull when in use.

Dimples may be substituted for the lined detent 68 and this calls for mating sockets. The detent 68 and the groove 64 constitute complementary elements of a lock. Their positions could be reversed, the detent or dimple being on the inside wall of the member 46 with the groove or socket in the member 14.

A bufi only may be offered. In this construction, the base 10 will terminate along the dotted line 74 so that when the closure members are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, the top of the shoe bufi will be fiat.

It will be appreciated that the word buff is used in its broadest terminology, and includes brushes as well as other fibrous materials which are used for polishing purposes. The word socket identifies both the through opening and the closed recess which seat over the trunnions.

Having thus described his invention, applicant claims:

1. A but? comprising an elongated base having one outer surface extending between spaced parallel end walls and spaced side walls, a bufiing element positioned on said surface, two aligned trunnions projecting outwardly one from each end wall respectively of the base on an axis parallel to and substantially midway between the side walls, a pair of elongated closure members having an ls-shaped transverse cross section with quadrant shaped end walls, each closure member having a socket in one end wall thereof and a similarly positioned journal in the opposite end wall thereof, the dimensions of the closure members being such that the journal of one closure memher and the socket of the other closure member seat over each trunnion, whereby the closure members may be swung over the buff-bearing surface thereby exposing back of the base or may be moved over the back of the base thereby exposing the buff.

The but? of claim 1 wherein one element of a locking means is mounted on the base and a complementary element of the locking means is mounted along each of the long edges of the closure member whereby the closure members may be held in either of two positions.

3. A h f comprising an elongated base having one outer surface extending between spaced parallel end walls and spaced side Walls, a buffing element positioned on said surface, two aligned trunnions projecting outwardly one from each end wall respectively of the base on an axis parallel to and substantially midway between the side walls, a pair of elongated closure members having an L-shaped transverse cross section with quadrant shaped end walls, a socket in the end wall in the axis which approximately is equally spaced from the edges of the side walls of the closure member which in cross section are equally distant from the axis, a similarly positioned journal in each closure members end wall opposite to that having said socket, a socket of one closure member s a journal of the other closure member being seated each trunnion, the side wall of the closure member ad acent the back of the buff base being slightly wider than the other side wall of-the other L whereby when the buff is exposed, the side walls of the closure members sloped toward the batting surface so as to provide a or hand grip.

4. The butt of claim 3 wherein the surface of the base is recessed and the back of the bulfing element seats in this recess.

5. The buff of claim 1 wherein the socket in one end wall of each closure member is a through opening and in the other end wall is a closed socket and wherein the through opening of each closure member is mounted over a trunnion adjacent the base and the closed socket is mounted over the end of the same trunnion.

6. The butt of claim 1 wherein the base is hollow and a window is provided in the surface opposite to the buff-carrying surface.

No references cited. 

